Ancient Egyptians really loved their dogs and cats - not to mention their snakes, crocodiles and birds.

Animals held such a prominent place in ancient Egyptian society that tens of millions were mummified, some going into the pharaohs’ tombs to rest eternally in the company of their kings. Others had their own special cemeteries, where they were buried in coffins as elaborately carved as those of royal family members.

Dozens of the best surviving specimens have taken up residence at Orange County’s Bowers Museum as the centerpiece of the exhibition “Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt.”

There’s a dog so well detailed that even its floppy ears are prominent. An ancient cat has been laid to rest with its little paws drawn across its body, creating an image eerily reminiscent of a human’s funeral pose.

“It just shows how closely Egyptians thought of animals on some basic level as being very similar to human beings,” said Edward Bleiberg, the exhibition’s curator. “The Egyptians believed that animals had souls.”

But soulful or not, most people - other than a king or queen - couldn’t afford to keep a dog or cat around just for companionship in ancient times, Bleiberg said.

Source: Al Arabiya